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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 1,423 records · Page 79
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Global Sensitivity Analysis with Small Sample Sizes: Ordinary Least Squares Approach

A new version of global sensitivity analysis is developed in this paper. This new version coupled with tools from statistics, machine learning, and optimization can devise small sample sizes that allow for the accurate ordering of sensitivity coefficients for the first 10-30 most sensitive chemical reactions in complex chemical-kinetic mechanisms, and is particularly useful for studying the chemistry in realistic devices. A key part of the paper is calibration of these small samples. Because these small sample sizes are developed for use in realistic combustion devices, the calibration is done over the ranges of conditions in such devices, with a test case being the operating conditions of a compression ignition engine studied earlier. Compression ignition engines operate under low-temperature combustion conditions with quite complicated chemistry making this calibration difficult, leading to the possibility of false positives and false negatives in the ordering of the reactions. So an important aspect of the paper is showing how to handle the trade-off between false positives and false negatives using ideas from the multiobjective optimization literature. The combination of the new global sensitivity method and the calibration are sample sizes a factor of approximately 10 times smaller than were available with our previous algorithm.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Strain Effects in SrHfO 3 Films Grown by Hybrid Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Perovskite oxide heterostructures host a large number of interesting phenomena such as ferroelectricity, which are often driven by octahedral distortions in the crystal that may induce polarization. SrHfO 3 (SHO) is a perovskite oxide with a pseudocubic lattice parameter of 4.08 Å that previous density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest can be stabilized in a ferroelectric P4mm phase when stabilized with sufficient compressive strain. Additionally, it is insulating and possesses a large band gap and a high dielectric constant, making it an ideal candidate for oxide electronic devices. Here, to test the viability of epitaxial strain as a driver of ferroic phase transitions, SHO films were grown by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy (hMBE) with a tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)hafnium(IV) source on GdScO 3 and TbScO 3 substrates. Strained SHO phases were characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and scanning transmission electron microscopy to determine the space group of the strained films, with the results compared to those of DFT-optimized models of phase stability versus strain. Contrary to past reports, we find that compressively strained SrHfO 3 undergoes octahedral tilt distortions without associated ferroelectric polarization and most likely takes on the I4/mcm phase with the a 0 a 0 c – tilt pattern.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2020

Failure modes of protection layers produced by atomic layer deposition of amorphous TiO 2 on GaAs anodes

Amorphous titanium dioxide (a-TiO 2 ) films formed by atomic layer deposition can serve as protective coatings for semiconducting photoanodes in water-splitting cells using strongly alkaline aqueous electrolytes. Herein, we experimentally examine the mechanisms of failure for p + -GaAs anodes coated with a-TiO 2 films (GaAs/a-TiO 2 ). Galvanic displacement of exposed GaAs by Au allowed imaging of pinholes in the a-TiO 2 coatings, and enabled collection of quantitative and statistical data associated with pinhole defects. A combination of imaging, electrochemical measurements, and quantitative analyses of corrosion products indicated that extrinsic pinholes were present in the a-TiO 2 films before electrochemical operation. During electrochemical operation these pinholes led to pitting corrosion of the underlying GaAs substrate. The dominant source of pinholes was the presence of atmospheric particulate matter on the GaAs surface during deposition of the a-TiO 2 layer. The pinhole density decreased substantially when the thickness of the a-TiO 2 coating increased beyond 45 nm, and approached zero when the thickness of the film exceeded 112 nm. The density of pinholes in films thinner than 45 nm decreased when the a-TiO 2 coating was deposited in an environmentally controlled cleanroom. Pinhole-free GaAs/a-TiO 2 devices were also tested via chronoamperometry to quantify the rate of pinhole formation during electrochemistry. The time-to-failure increased with thickness, suggesting that the failure mechanism may involve diffusion or migration through the film. However, other mechanisms may also contribute to the degradation of thicker films (>112 nm). Nevertheless, as previously hypothesized, extrinsic pinhole defects formed during deposition and testing control the short-term protective performance of the a-TiO 2 film for GaAs anodes evolving O 2 from water.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Systemwide Planning with a Branch-and-Price Algorithm for Pavement-Marking Assessment Data Collection via the Mobile Retroreflectivity Unit Routing Model

The visibility of pavement markings is one of the most critical factors for traffic safety, and a periodical assessment plan is crucial for maintaining this function. Traditional assessment methods, such as visual windshield surveys or manual testing using handheld devices, are unsafe, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. In recent years, transportation agencies have begun to adopt the use of mobile retroreflectivity units (MRUs) for condition assessment of pavement markings. MRUs, different from other manual methods, can be utilized to collect large-scale retroreflectivity data in an efficient manner. However, no relevant research has yet proposed a mathematical optimization model for arranging the evaluation schedule and paths of MRUs. This study aims to propose a MRU routing model, and an efficient solution methodology. A branch-and-price algorithm, including column generation and branch-and-bound, was implemented. Computational experiments have been conducted based on actual tasks from the Florida MRU program for validation. In conclusion, results show that the proposed solution methodology with a set partitioning model in this study not only finds the optimal solution for problems with tasks less than 60, but also effectively narrows the solution gap to be within 1.0% for problems with tasks less than 131.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2011

University of Washington Clinical Neutron Facility: Report on 26 Years of Operation

Particle radiotherapy facilities are highly capital intensive and must operate over decades to recoup the original investment. We describe the successful, long-term operation of a neutron radiotherapy center at the University of Washington, which has been operating continuously since September 1984. To date, 2836 patients have received neutron radiotherapy. The mission of the facility has also evolved to include the production of unique radioisotopes that cannot be made with the low-energy cyclotrons more commonly found in nuclear medicine departments. The facility is also used for neutron damage testing for industrial devices. In this paper, we describe the challenges of operating such a facility over an extended time period, including a planned maintenance and upgrade program serving diverse user groups, and summarize the major clinical results in terms of tumor control and normal tissue toxicity. Over time, the mix of patients being treated has shifted from common tumors such as prostate cancer, lung cancer, and squamous cell tumors of the head and neck to the rarer tumors such as salivary gland tumors and sarcomas due to the results of clinical trials. Current indications for neutron radiotherapy are described and neutron tolerance doses for a range of normal tissues presented.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Microtron MT 25 as a source of neutrons

The objective was to describe Microtron MT25 as a source of neutrons generated by bremsstrahlung induced photonuclear reactions in U and Pb targets. Bremsstrahlung photons were produced by electrons accelerated at energy 21.6 MeV. Spectral fluence of the generated neutrons was calculated with MCNPX code and then experimentally determined at two positions by means of a Bonner spheres spectrometer in which the detector of thermal neutrons was replaced by activation Mn tablets or track detectors CR-39 with a {sup 10}B radiator. The measured neutron spectral fluence and the calculated anisotropy served for the estimation of neutron yield from the targets and for the determination of ambient dose equivalent rate at the place of measurement. Microtron MT25 is intended as one of the sources for testing neutron sensitive devices which will be sent into the space.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Characterization and calibration of compact array spectrometers in the ultraviolet spectral region

Array-based spectrometers, with their compact size, low weight, low cost, and fast measurement time, are now frequently used in place of both conventional single-channel scanning monochromators, and broadband meters. Their rapid measurement capability makes them an attractive option for routine solar UV spectral measurements, where shortterm variability in signal is a challenge. However, compactness, portability, low cost and high speed are achieved at the expense of the spectrometer's optical and electronic performance. Thus such spectrometers are more prone to measurement error from environmental changes, and more prone to other intrinsic sources of error such as stray light and detector non-linearity, which significantly affect solar UV measurements, than a scanning monochromator. The effects of stray light and non-linearity can be reduced either by improved optical and detector design or by a detailed spectrometer characterization. We present in this paper our investigation of the performance of three different commercial array spectrometers: two mini-spectrometers, and a more elaborate array spectrometer with an on-board image amplifier device. These were tested for a subset of performance parameters: their wavelength accuracy and stability, electronic linearity, responsivity linearity, stray light sensitivity, and mechanical stability and repeatability. With all three spectrometers we found that these parameters, particularly but not limited to stray light, had a significant impact on the measurement of the incoming optical radiation. This meant that, without characterization, the instruments would be unable to accurately measure the UV component of any source with significant visible radiation. We discuss various simple and low-cost solutions for improving the performance of these instruments, and providing a rigorous calibration using a straightforward set-up including optical filters and the quasi-monochromatic light from a double monochromator.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Mimicking Mars: A vacuum simulation chamber for testing environmental instrumentation for Mars exploration

We have built a Mars environmental simulation chamber, designed to test new electromechanical devices and instruments that could be used in space missions. We have developed this environmental system aiming at validating the meteorological station Rover Environment Monitoring Station of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission currently installed on Curiosity rover. The vacuum chamber has been built following a modular configuration and operates at pressures ranging from 1000 to 10{sup −6} mbars, and it is possible to control the gas composition (the atmosphere) within this pressure range. The device (or sample) under study can be irradiated by an ultraviolet source and its temperature can be controlled in the range from 108 to 423 K. As an important improvement with respect to other simulation chambers, the atmospheric gas into the experimental chamber is cooled at the walls by the use of liquid-nitrogen heat exchangers. This chamber incorporates a dust generation mechanism designed to study Martian-dust deposition while modifying the conditions of temperature, and UV irradiated.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2014

Measuring size dependent electrical properties from nanoneedle structures: Pt/ZnO Schottky diodes

This work reports the fabrication and testing of nanoneedle devices with well-defined interfaces that are amenable to a variety of structural and electrical characterization, including transmission electron microscopy. Single Pt/ZnO nanoneedle Schottky diodes were fabricated by a top down method using a combination of electro-polishing, sputtering, and focused ion beam milling. The resulting structures contained nanoscale planar heterojunctions with low ideality factors, the dimensions of which were tuned to study size-dependent electrical properties. The diameter dependence of the Pt/ZnO diode barrier height is explained by a joule heating effect and/or electronic inhomogeneity in the Pt/ZnO contact area.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

X-ray tomography system to investigate granular materials during mechanical loading

We integrate a small and portable medical x-ray device with mechanical testing equipment to enable in situ, non-invasive measurements of a granular material's response to mechanical loading. We employ an orthopedic C-arm as the x-ray source and detector to image samples mounted in the materials tester. We discuss the design of a custom rotation stage, which allows for sample rotation and tomographic reconstruction under applied compressive stress. We then discuss the calibration of the system for 3D computed tomography, as well as the subsequent image reconstruction process. Using this system to reconstruct packings of 3D-printed particles, we resolve packing features with 0.52 mm resolution in a (60 mm){sup 3} field of view. By analyzing the performance bounds of the system, we demonstrate that the reconstructions exhibit only moderate noise.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2017

Low-profile self-sealing sample transfer flexure box

A flexural bearing mechanism has enabled the development of a self-sealing box for protecting air sensitive samples during transfer between glove boxes, micro-machining equipment, and microscopy equipment. The simplicity and self-actuating feature of this design makes it applicable to many devices that operate under vacuum conditions. The models used to design the flexural mechanism are presented in detail. Lastly, the device has been tested in a Zeiss Merlin GEMINI II scanning electron microscope with Li 3 PS 4 samples, showing effective isolation from air and corrosion prevention.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Breakdown characteristics of deep-ultraviolet Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N p-i-n avalanche photodiodes

A top-illuminated deep-ultraviolet Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N p-i-n avalanche photodiode (APD) structure was designed and grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on an AlN bulk substrate and on two different quality AlN/sapphire templates, and APDs were fabricated and tested. The APD devices with a circular diameter of 20 μm have demonstrated a distinctive reverse-bias breakdown behavior. The reverse breakdown voltage of the APDs is approximately -140 V, which corresponds to a breakdown electric field of 6–6.2 MV/cm for the Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N material as estimated by Silvaco TCAD simulation. The APDs grown on the AlN bulk substrate show the lowest leakage current density of < 1 × 10 -8 A/cm 2 (at low reverse bias) compared to that of the devices grown on the AlN templates. From the photocurrent measurement, a maximum gain (current limited) of 1.2 × 10 4 is calculated. The average temperature coefficients of the breakdown voltage are negative for APD devices fabricated from both the AlN bulk substrate and the AlN templates, but these data show that the coefficient is the least negative for the APD devices grown on the low-dislocation-density AlN bulk substrate.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2017

Development of an ADC radiation tolerance characterization system for the upgrade of the ATLAS LAr calorimeter

ATLAS LAr calorimeter will undergo its Phase-I upgrade during the long shutdown (LS2) in 2018, and a new LAr Trigger Digitizer Board (LTDB) will be designed and installed. Several commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) multi-channel high-speed ADCs have been selected as possible backups of the radiation tolerant ADC ASICs for the LTDB. Here, to evaluate the radiation tolerance of these backup commercial ADCs, we developed an ADC radiation tolerance characterization system, which includes the ADC boards, data acquisition (DAQ) board, signal generator, external power supplies and a host computer. The ADC board is custom designed for different ADCs, with ADC drivers and clock distribution circuits integrated on board. The Xilinx ZC706 FPGA development board is used as a DAQ board. The data from the ADC are routed to the FPGA through the FMC (FPGA Mezzanine Card) connector, de-serialized and monitored by the FPGA, and then transmitted to the host computer through the Gigabit Ethernet. A software program has been developed with Python, and all the commands are sent to the DAQ board through Gigabit Ethernet by this program. Two ADC boards have been designed for the ADC, ADS52J90 from Texas Instruments and AD9249 from Analog Devices respectively. TID tests for both ADCs have been performed at BNL, and an SEE test for the ADS52J90 has been performed at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Test results have been analyzed and presented. The test results demonstrate that this test system is very versatile, and works well for the radiation tolerance characterization of commercial multi-channel high-speed ADCs for the upgrade of the ATLAS LAr calorimeter. It is applicable to other collider physics experiments where radiation tolerance is required as well.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Components Qualification for a Possible use in the Mu2e Calorimeter Waveform Digitizer

The Mu2e experiment at Fermilab searches for the charged flavor violating conversion of a muon into an electron in the Coulomb field of a nucleus. The detector consists of a straw tube tracker and a CSI crystal electromagnetic calorimeter, both housed in a superconducting solenoid. Both the front-end and the digital electronics, located inside the cryostat, will be operated in vacuum under a 1 T magnetic field, having to sustain the high flux of neutrons and ionizing particles coming from the muons stopping target. These harsh experimental conditions make the design of the calorimeter waveform digitizer quite challenging. All the selected commercial devices must be tested individually and qualified for radiation hardness and operation in high magnetic field. At the moment the expected particles flux and spectra at the digitizers location are not completely simulated and we are using initial rough estimates to select the components for the first prototype. We are gaining experience in the qualification procedures using the selected components but the choice will be frozen only when dose and neutron flux simulations will be completed. The experimental results of the first qualification campaign are presented.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2011

Protecting a quantum state from environmental noise by an incompatible finite-time measurement

We show that measurements of finite duration performed on an open two-state system can protect the initial state from a phase-noisy environment, provided the measured observable does not commute with the perturbing interaction. When the measured observable commutes with the environmental interaction, the finite-duration measurement accelerates the rate of decoherence induced by the phase noise. For the description of the measurement of an observable that is incompatible with the interaction between system and environment, we have found an approximate analytical expression, valid at zero temperature and weak coupling with the measuring device. We have tested the validity of the analytical predictions against an exact numerical approach, based on the superoperator-splitting method, that confirms the protection of the initial state of the system. When the coupling between the system and the measuring apparatus increases beyond the range of validity of the analytical approximation, the initial state is still protected by the finite-time measurement, according with the exact numerical calculations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

In 2 O 3 -Ga 2 O 3 Alloys as Potential Buffer Layers in CdTe Thin-Film Solar Cells

The efficiency of state-of-the-art Cd Te solar cells remains limited by the relatively low open-circuit voltage (V OC ). Improving the front interface is key towards realizing a higher V OC after achieving the necessary bulk carrier density and lifetime. Recent efforts in identifying buffer layers beyond Cd S have focused on Mg x Zn 1-x O, which offers tunability of the band offsets, but often suffers from high interfacial defect densities. Ga 2 O 3 -based buffer layers demonstrate tremendous improvements in interfacial defect passivation in crystalline silicon and dye-sensitized solar cells, leading to record high V OC , yet remain largely unexplored in Cd Te-based devices. Here, we perform hybrid density-functional-theory calculations to investigate pure Ga 2 O 3 and InGaO 3 alloys as a window layer in Cd Te photovoltaics. We report calculated band offsets for several pairs of solid-solid interfaces comprising transparent conducting oxide (TCO) and Cd Te heterojunctions. The results support a large conduction band offset spike of 0.67 eV for the Cd Te/Ga 2 O 3 (100) interface, while the offset is reduced to 0.18 eV for the InGaO 3 alloy and matches closely with the preferred optimum value of 0.2 eV. Device-level modeling tests of Cd Te solar cells integrating our results indicate that the highest efficiency is achieved with InGaO 3 acting both as a buffer layer and TCO. Finally, our results suggest that alloys of In 2 O 3 and Ga 2 O 3 may be attractive alternatives to Mg x Zn 1-x O for tailoring optimal conduction-band offsets of the buffer and TCO layers in high-efficiency Cd Te thin-film solar cells.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Imaging pion showers with the CALICE analogue hadron calorimeter

The CALICE collaboration investigates different technology options for highly granular calorimeters for detectors at a future electron-positron collider. One of the devices constructed and tested by the collaboration is a 1 m{sup 3} prototype for an imaging scintillator-steel sampling calorimeter for hadrons with analogue readout (AHCAL). The light from 7608 small scintillator cells is detected with silicon photomultipliers. The AHCAL has been successfully operated during electron and hadron test-beam measurements at DESY, CERN, and Fermilab since 2005. The collected data allow for evaluating the novel technologies employed. In addition, these data provide a valuable basis for validating pion cascade simulations. This paper presents the current status of comparisons between the AHCAL data and predictions from different Monte Carlo models implemented in GEANT4. The comparisons cover the total visible energy, longitudinal and radial shower profiles, and the shower substructure. Furthermore, this paper discusses a software compensation algorithm for improving the energy resolution of the AHCAL for single pions. (authors)

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Atomic layer deposition of TiN for the fabrication of nanomechanical resonators

Films of titanium nitride were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) over a range of temperatures from 120 Degree-Sign C to 300 Degree-Sign C, and their deposition rates were characterized by ellipsometry and reflectometry. The stress state of the films was evaluated by interferometry using a wafer bowing technique and varied from compressive (-18 MPa) to tensile (650 MPa). The crystal structure of the films was assessed by x-ray diffraction. The grain size varied with temperature in the range of 2-9 nm. The chemical composition of the films was ascertained by high-resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and showed the presence of O, Cl, and C contaminants. A mildly tensile (250 MPa) stressed film was employed for the fabrication (by electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching) of doubly clamped nanoresonator beams. The resonance frequency of resonators was assayed using an interferometric resonance testing apparatus. The devices exhibited sharp mechanical resonance peaks in the 17-25 MHz range. The uniformity and controllable deposition rate of ALD films make them ideal candidate materials for the fabrication of ultranarrow (<50 nm) nanobeam structures.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗